The present invention relates to a contents sales method, a cyber mall system using such a method, and a storage medium in which its contents sales program has been stored.
With a spread of the Internet, a cyber mall based on the World-Wide Web (WWW) becomes possible to be established. In the cyber mall, in addition to articles, digital contents are also sold at present. The digital contents indicate a kind of contents (work) such as image file, audio file, software, or Web page of the WWW which can be delivered via a network.
There are two kinds of purchasing methods of the digital contents. The first method is a method of delivering a copy of purchased digital contents to a computer of a customer. According to the purchasing method, since the digital contents are delivered via the network, there is a possibility that the delivery fails. When the delivery of the digital contents fails, usually, the customer needs to re-execute the purchasing process. In the case where the purchase price has been already paid, however, it is purchase price has been already paid, however, it is necessary to enable the purchasing process to be re-executed without paying the purchase price again.
For example, in ASCII Digital Novels (http colon slash slash www dot ascii dot co dot ip slash hirai slash) from which a novel can be purchased in a document file on a chapter unit basis, when a download of the document file fails, if the customer re-purchases it within 72 hours after the purchase, the customer is not billed again.
Similarly, in “gu-antanya” (http colon slash slash shop dot aplix dot co dot ip slash shops slash apiapan) from which images can be purchased on a file unit basis, when the download of an image file fails, if the customer re-purchases it within 72 hours after the purchase, the customer is not billed again. The re-purchase can be executed up to three times only.
In “buydirect.com” (http colon slash slash www dot buydirect dot corn) from which software can be purchased by on-line, when the download of software fails, if the customer re-purchases it within 30 days after the purchase, the customer is not billed again. Basically, the re-purchase can be executed up to three times only. When the re-purchase fails three times, if the customer informs customer service of such a fact, the number of times downloading can be made is increased.
According to the second method, the customer views the purchased digital contents via a WWW browser. According to such a purchasing method, when an access to a WWW page displaying the digital contents fails, the digital contents cannot be viewed. If the digital contents are, however, those of a regular subscription type like a subscription of a news service, there is no additional charge even if the contents are viewed again.